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CATHOLICS 

AND 

PROTESTANTS 



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By 



Rev. B. C. THIBAULT 



MT. CARMEL PRESS 

298 New Main St. 

Yonken, N. Y. 



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FIRST SERIES 


1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 

6. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 

n. 

12. 


The Most Holy Name of Jesus 

Visits to the Most Blessed Sacrament 

Devotion to the Sacred Heart 

The First Friday of the Month 

The Week Sanctified 

Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Maiy 

Devotion to Mary Immaculate 

Devotion to St. Joseph 

Devotion to St. Anne 

Devotion to St. Anthony 

St. Rita of Cascia 

Devotion to the Souls in Purgatory 




SECOND SERIES 


13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 

99 

23*. 
24. 


Devotion to the Infant Jesus 

Heaven on Earth 

The Holy Mass Treasure of Indulgences 

The Holy Hour 

Devotion to the Crucifix 

Visits to the Sacred Heart 

Devotion to the Immaculate Heart 

Devotion to the Mother of Sorrows 

Devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary 

Devotion to St. Aloysius 

The Way of the Cross for the Souls 

in Purgatory 
The Companion of the Sick 




MT. CARMEL PRESS 


298 New Main Street, Yonkers, N. Y, 



GATHOLIGS 

AND 

PROTESTANTS 



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By 

Rev. B. C. THIBAULT 



MX. CARMEL PRESS 

298 New Main St. 

Yonkers, N. Y. 



ARTHUR J. SCANLAN, S.T.D. 
Censor Librorum 

tPATRICK J. HAYES 

Archbishop of New York 



New York, November 1st, 1922 



©C1A6'94999 

Copyright, ig22 

by P. T. LOMBARDO 



^ 



CONTENTS 



Our Existence 7 

Religion 9 

Redemption and Regeneration 12 

The Christian Religion 16 

Faith 19 

Good Faith and Good Will 22 

The Faithful 25 

The Rule of Faith 28 

The Rule of Life 31 

The Church 34 

Priesthood 39 

Holy Eucharist 43 

Penance 47 

The Suffering Church 51 

Heaven 54 

Hell ^..-.^^ - 58 

The Difference 61 



PREFACE 

rHIS IS A C AT H EC ISM of the Christian 
religion for the people. This is the bread of 
the poor for the Christian life; plain talk and 
plain doctrine y within the reach of all men and 
women of good faith and of good will. The poor 
you always have with you, says Jesus, Pass the 
bread; give this to your neighbor. There are 
many poor christians, many poor protestants in 
good faith. They do not know better. The dif- 
ference between Christianism and protestantism 
is as broad as between heaven and earth. They 
do not see it. Go, says Jesus-Christ to his apostles, 
and teach all nations. The field is broad indeed, 
but the sowers are scarce. It is not with big 
books of philosophy and of theology that they 
will teach nations; but by common sense and 
the plain talk of catechism. Feed the masses; 
save the billions. Throw the seed and God will 
do the rest. 

B. C. Thibault, Priest. 



CHAPTER I. 

Our existence. 

GOD IS; He is the One who is; the eternal 
Being; immense; almighty; all good; infinite 
in every perfection; the beginning; the Provi- 
dence, the end of everything. We are His reason- 
able creatures; we adore Him; we love Him. 

In the beginning of time, which means 

long, long ago, God created heaven and earth. 
This means a great work indeed. God be praised. 
Think of heaven, the grand, beautiful home and 
its inhabitants, the holy angels; millions and bil- 
lions of them; the earth; not only this poor 
small planet which was destined to be the home 
of man and of the man-God; but the whole 
material universe, so broad, so broad. Glory be 
to God in the highest. Heaven and earth are 
full of His glory. 

Here we are, atoms and microbes, on this small 
spot of the universe; poor human creatures, on 
this poor earth; struggling for life, for a few 
minutes of time; to-day; to be launched to-mor- 



8 Catholics and Protestants 

row into eternity. Which eternity? An eternity 
of bliss or an eternity of sufferings. 

What are we? Human beings, soul and body, 
spirit and matter; made to the image and like- 
ness of God; which is saying very much indeed. 
We were made to know Him, to love Him, to 
enjoy His society, together with the angels in 
heaven, for eternity. O man if thou didst know 
thy destiny! 

What are we actually? Poor fallen creatures 
conceived in sin, doomed to eternal damnation 
in hell with the fallen angels, only for the 
Redeemer. 

What is the redemption? God, the great spirit, 
was made man on earth, a few years ago, to 
save us from hell and to make us children of 
God, heirs of heaven. O Christian man! If thou 
didst know the gift of God; what He has done 
for us, what He has prepared for those who 
love Him. 

You are a fallen man by nature. Are you a 
Christian by the grace of God, regenerated in 
the blood of Jesus Christ? Here you are; on 
probation, for a few minutes of time. Where 
shall you be hereafter for eternity? Heaven or 
hell for eternity! Think well on it. We will exist 
forever. 



CHAPTER II. 

Religion. 

WHAT IS RELIGION? It is the relation 
of the reasonable creature to its Maker. 
God and I. We were made to the image and 
likeness of God; in order to know Him, to love 
Him, and to be happy with Him forever. Love 
is a spiritual magnetic attraction. The more we 
know the more we love. We know God by reason; 
we know Him by supernatural light of Faith. 
We love God by the power of nature; we love 
Him by the supernatural power of grace. 

Practically, religion consists for fallen man in 
faith, hope and love. Believe and do what you 
are told. Keep the commandments of God. The 
doctrinal and the moral laws are the same for 
all and all times. The external worship may have 
several forms, like the human language. The 
truth cannot change. One religion for all. 

The natural law, or the will of God, is en- 
graved in the soul of every human being, in the 
conscience. 



10 Catholics and Protestants 

The holy Tradition should have been kept sa- 
credly from Adam down to us. The written Law 
of God or the Old Testament was given to man- 
kind in order to revive the religion. The New 
Testament, or the Gospel or good news, was given 
us by Jesus Christ for the improvement of our 
poor humanity. The Christian Religion is for all. 
The new laws do not change the old laws, except 
the ritual or the external forms of worship. ^T am 
not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it,'' 
says the Master. (Mat. V-17.) 

It is not by chance that you are a Christian, 
but by the grace of God. There are many re- 
ligions or forms of worship, of human invention. 
'^Blessed are those who hear the word of God and 
keep it." (Luke XI-28.) "Blessed are those who 
dwell in the house of the Lord." (Ts. 83-5.) The 
natural law. Tradition, Judaism and Christianism 
are one and the same religion ; the latter one with 
broader faith, hope and love. 

What is your religion? If you were a pagan 
in good faith, I would say to you: Brother, try 
to know better. Adore the supreme Being and 
love him. Have good faith and good will and 
you will attain to the eternal life. 

Are you a Jew? You are privileged indeed 
among the nations. "He has not done in like 



Religion 1 1 

manner to every nation and His judgments He 
has not made manifest to them.'^ (Ps. 147-20.) 
Jesus was a Jew. ^^He came unto His own and 
His own received Him not.'' (John I-ll.) They 
still protest against Him. They ought to try to 
know better and do better. 

You pretend to be a Christian, a believer in 
Christ. Are you really believing and are you 
doing according to His doctrine and to His ex- 
amples? By no means. You protest against the 
most essential points of His doctrine; your rule 
of faith and your rule of life are your own judg- 
ment. A Protestant cannot be a true Christian. 
There is only one true Christian religion. It con- 
sists in believing everything and in willing to do 
everything that the Master has told us. Such 
is the Catholic, apostolic. Christian religion. 



CHAPTER III. 

Redemption and Regeneration. 

THE FALL of man is a mystery among the 
millions of mysteries. We believe it. Adam 
and Eve were penitent and immediately, upon 
the promise of a Redeemer, the sentence of eternal 
damnation was cancelled; the gates of hell were 
closed. We participate in their repentance and 
in their pardon. Next, Adam and Eve believed 
in the Redeemer and they were purified or bap- 
tized in His blood, in anticipation of the merits 
of Christ. They were regenerated or born again 
as adopted children of God and heir of heaven. 
This was personal, what about their posterity? 

All men of good will have the same privileges 
as penitent Adam and Eve. "Glory be to God 
in the highest, and on earth peace to men of 
good will." The privileges are not hereditary but 
personal. He who made thee without thee cannot 
save thee without thee or thy own will. 

Fallen man was redeemed from hell without 
any action on his part but repentance. This was 



Redemption and Rlgeneration 13 

a great benefit indeed. In fact, notice that a great 
proportion of mankind will have no more privi- 
lege than the Redemption. What is their con- 
dition in eternity? It is not revealed to us. They 
must be happy and thankful to God. They can- 
not go to heaven because they did not have the 
privilege of Christian regeneration. It is a great 
privilege indeed, to be baptized in the blood of 
the Redeemer and to be adopted children of God 
and heirs of heaven. 

We do not make enough distinction between 
redemption and regeneration. You have been 
redeemed for sure. Are you baptized? We mean 
by baptism, not only the Sacrament instituted 
by Jesus Christ, but also the Christian regenera- 
tion, the purification of the soul thro the merits 
of Jesus Christ from Adam down to Abram, down 
to Jesus Christ, down to the end of mankind. 
The Sacrament of Baptism instituted by Jesu? 
Christ is a great privilege granted to compara- 
tively few souls. Many are called but few are 
elect; however, the grace of Baptism without the 
sacrament is granted to all men of good will. 
During four thousand years men were expecting 
the Messiah. How could they be baptized, those 
millions of infidels? The same way as today: 



14 Catholics and Protestants 

thro good will and supernatural faith which is 
given to every man of good will. 

Now what about the infants not having the use 
of reason? The infallible doctrine of the Church 
is that a child dying without the sacrament of 
Baptism of Christian regeneration, cannot go to 
heaven; notwithstanding all the faith of the 
parents. Now how could the infant born be- 
fore Christ have been so privileged as to have 
the grace of regeneration simply thro the faith 
of the parents. What parents? Heathens. At 
what age? 

Some privileged souls like John the Baptist, 
the holy Innocents and perhaps others, have re- 
ceived an extraordinary grace equivalent to the 
formal sacrament of Baptism; but they are ex- 
ceptions to the rule. Only the sacrament ex opere 
operatOy or an extraordinary grace equivalent to 
the grace of the sacrament can anticipate the 
will of the child. The faith and the prayers of 
the best parents cannot do it. Was it done be- 
fore Christ? How many infants die without the 
privilege of regeneration, which is a privilege, as 
it is a privilege to be an angel. God is not to 
blame because we are not angels. 

Are you regenerated as a Christian? I hope 
so, because you have good faith and good will. 



Redemption and Regeneration 15 

Have you received the Sacrament? Who Bap- 
tized you? A protestant minister, by proxy? 
The apostles are the ministers of the sacraments. 
The Protestant ministers are not apostles of Jesus 
Christ. Out of charity for the souls, the Church 
authorizes them, as well as the nurses, to give 
the sacrament of Baptism, upon two essential 
conditions: the form and the intention. Both are 
often deficient. The protestants having no formal 
ritual and no formal creed, we cannot trust the 
validity of their baptism. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The Christian Religion. 

WHAT IS the Christian religion? It is every- 
thing good in matter of religion, or relation 
of man and God. It is the natural religion. It 
is the holy Tradition from Adam do\vn to the 
prophets. It is Judaism down to Jesus Christ 
Who said: 'T am not come to destroy the Law 
but to fulfil it." 'Mat. 5-17.) Moreover it is 
Jesus Christ the incarnate Word of God, our 
teacher, our model; His doctrine, His examples. 
The Christian religion is the perfection of the 
worship of God on earth. A Christian must know 
and serve God more perfectly, thro Christ, with 
Christ and in Christ. There were Christians be- 
fore Christ, because there were saints and there 
is no salvation without Christ. 

^'Blessed are those who hear the word of God 
and keep it.'' (Luke XI- 2 8.) How do we know 
Jesus Christ and His religion? By reason or 
common sense and by the supernatural gift of 
Faith, thro the apostolic teaching. 

We know by tradition and history that a few 



The Christian Religion 17 

years ago there was a man called Jesus who 
pretended to be adored as the son of God. He 
was put to death. I believe; as do the Jews and 
the non-christians. This is human faith. More- 
over, upon His divine authority, by the super- 
natural gift of grace, I believe that Jesus Christ 
was what He claimed to be and I take His word 
as the word of God. This is the Christian faith, 
a supernatural gift of God and a virtue of mine, 
by my wilful correspondence to it. 

"Faith Cometh from hearing." (Rom. X-17.) 
Some of the words of Jesus Christ were taken 
down by writing, and I consider that a great 
blessing for us: however, how can I be sure that 
these printed pages translated in thousand lan- 
guages, were really inspired? That written word 
would be a dead letter for me only for the liv- 
ing Word or Jesus Himself speaking to me with 
words of mouth thro His apostles: "Go, says 
He, and teach ye all nations. Teaching them 
to observe all things whatsoever I have com- 
manded you: and behold I am with you all 
days, even to the consummation of the world." 
(Mat. 18-20.) "Who heareth you heareth me." 
(Luke X-16.) 

The Christian religion is not the dead letter 
of the Bible. It is Jesus Christ living in His 



18 Catholics and Protestants 

Church and talking to us. If you know the 
Christian religion only from reading the Bible, 
your knowledge is human, very short and fallible; 
and your faith and your virtue of faith are in 
proportion. If you know from hearing the re- 
liable living authority, your Faith is broad and 
indefectible. 

Now in religion there are two things to be 
considered: the doctrine and the practice; or 
the rule of faith and the rule of life. "Faith 
without works is dead." (Janus. 2-26.) The 
Christian religion of Jesus Christ in the apos- 
tolical Church teaches us what to , believe and 
what to do. The christian religion is not personal 
ideas of Peter or of Paul: it is not the tyran- 
nical religion of Mohammed: Believe or die; it 
is not the proud aberrations of Luther: I protest, 
take my word, I reform the Church of Jesus 
Christ; it is not the religion of Wesley, of Gen- 
eral Booth, of Bill Sunday. It is the religion 
of Jesus Christ directly expressed to me with 
words of mouth, in any human language, by the 
true apostle, another Christ, under the infallible 
guidance of the head representative of Jesus 
Christ on earth, telling me what to believe and 
what to do. 



CHAPTER V. 
Faith. 

WHAT A GREAT WORD 1 The field of faith 
is very broad indeed, immense like God 
himself. I believe in God. 

You have faith, of course; how could you live 
without faith? Faith is a natural or supernatural 
disposition of the soul to admit as true what 
we are told; or what we learn thro the senses. 
Everything is learned by faith. The child be- 
lieves his mother; the pupil his teacher; the 
student believes the doctor. This is human faith. 
It is a virtue when you make the best of this 
gift of nature. A skeptic does not believe thro 
pride. There are many of these. There are more 
poor unbelievers through ignorance: they are 
called infidels. Many people also are overcredu- 
lous or superstitious, for lack of common-sense. 
This is what is called good faith, for Charity's 
sake. 

We must believe everything that is rational or 
even above reason, such as mysteries. Common- 



20 Catholics and Protestants 

sense is the rule of human faith. Philosophy and 
science help very much for the perfection of the 
virtue. However, scientists and philosophers often 
are the worst skeptics, on account of pride. Faith 
is in proportion with humility. 

What is religious Faith? It is the rational 
endorsement of supernatural truth revealed to us 
by God. In the meantime it is a supernatural 
gift of God or grace, given to man in different 
proportions. Sufficient grace is given to every 
man for his eternal salvation. I believe, says the 
pagan. I believe, says the Mahommedan. I be- 
lieve, says the Jew. I believe, says the Christian. 
They all believe good things; may they all know 
more and believe more. They all have a certain 
amount of supernatural faith with their good- 
faith. 

We believe, as a rule, not so much by personal 
inspiration from the holy Ghost as from hearing. 
'Taith Cometh from hearing." (Rom. X-17.) 
The faith of the pagans is poor; the faith of the 
Jews is great; the Christian faith is far broader. 
Besides all that we learn from the prophets, we 
believe all that we are told by Jesus Christ, the 
Word of God made man, speaking to us, not 
by writing, but with words of mouth, or thro 
the mouth of His apostles: ''Who heareth you 



Faith 21 

heareth Me.'' (Luke 10-16.) The gospel with- 
out the Hving apostoHc interpretation is a dead 
letter. I believe in the Holy Eucharist, not so 
much because I read in the Bible the words 
of Jesus Christ: "This is my flesh; this is my 
blood", which are perfectly plain; but because 
I hear the same Jesus telling me thro the mouth 
of His spouse the Church; This is the truth. I 
might be tempted thro pride, to say like Luther: 
The words mean: this is the emblem of my body; 
but my faith is Christian, not human. 

My rule of Faith is not my personal judg- 
ment, but the word of God expressed to me by 
the apostolical authority. This is the Christian 
Faith. 



CHAPTER VI. 
Good Faith. 

YOU are in good faith in the matter of religion. 
Everybody is supposed to be so, for charity's 
sake. Practically, how many are in the wrong 
way? If, by mistake, you take the wrong path 
to go somewhere, you will not arrive. You ought 
to inquire and be thankful to the good adviser 
and change your direction. Many are too proud 
to inquire or search; many are too cowardly to 
change their way, to leave the broadway and 
take the narrow path. Are they in good faith? 
Religion is the knowledge and the service of 
God. The poor uncivilized heathen knows little 
about God, nothing about Jesus Christ. He goes 
his way the best he can, in invincible ignorance. 
He may be a Christian in his good faith, however 
he is a fallible man. Granting that having the 
sufficient grace, he may reach eternal life (God 
is so good), he has not the efficacious graces, 
the privileges of the elect, the children of God 
in the Church. 



Good Faith 23 

The civilized pagans of the old times, the 
Greeks, the Romans, with their philosophy and 
their science, were in gross ignorance of religion. 
They might have known better by the light of 
common-sense. 

In the Christian era, the small number are 
Christian. Mankind is either pagan or godless. 
Are they in good faith? The Jews ought to be 
better acquainted with Christ than we are. In 
their blindness, are they in good faith? Talk of 
Christians: there are Christians and Christians. 
There are Christian religions of all denominations, 
altho there is but one fold, one shepherd, one true 
Christian religion. Those who belong to the true 
fold, who keep sacredly the deposit of Faith, are 
called Catholics, universal, whole Christians hav- 
ing one unchangeable creed. The other kind of 
Christians are called protestants. Protestantism 
is the negation of the most important tenets 
of the Christian religion of Jesus Christ. Many 
protestants are in good faith, because they were 
brought up like that, deceived by false prophets; 
but those who have some education and common 
sense enough to find the truth; are they in good 
faith? No. How can a man of common sense 
pretend to know history, tradition and the Bible 
and ignore the fundamental truths of religion? 



24 Catholics and Protestants 

They know them, but they protest against them. 
They know the natural and the Mosaic law of 
penance and mortification, they know the princi- 
pal laws of Jesus Christ, such as: ^Tf any man 
will come after Me, let him deny himself and 
take his cross and follow Me." (Mat. 16-24.) 
They know the sacrifices of the old law; the 
divine sacrifice of the new law: They protest. 
They know the law of obedience to the prophets, 
especially to the divine Prophet and His apostles: 
''Who heareth you heareth Me." They protest. 
They boast of being protestants. Are they in good 
faith? No. The leaders, are they in good faith? 
By no means. 



CHAPTER VII. 

The Faithful. 

HEAVEN is promised to men of good will. Are 
you one of these? We are sinners, unfortu- 
nately, thro our own fault; however, only by ac- 
cident, thro w^eakness. Every man is fallible, but 
we are not confirmed in the bad will, as they 
are in hell. We repent, by the grace of God 
and by an act of our will. "A just man shall 
fall seven times and shall rise again." (Prov. 
24-16.) Our deliberate will with the supernatu- 
ral help, is to be always obedient, notwithstand- 
ing our infirmity. This is the good will required 
for salvation, good will down to the last moment 
of life. Have it now^; have it all the time and 
you are a man of good will; you will be a saint. 
Your good will ought to be in proportion to 
your vocation. All men are called to salvation; 
not all, however, are so privileged as to be formal 
Christians. It is your privilege, thank God for it 
and be faithful to it. If you realize that you 
are not as good a Christian as you ought to be, 
trv to know better and to do better. 



26 Catholics and Protestants 

There are catholic Christians, and protestant 
Christians. The difference is broad. I am a catho- 
lic because I was bom of Catholic parents and 
brought up in the Catholic religion. It is true; 
however, I remain a Catholic after years of ma- 
ture deliberation and personal conviction. If I 
had been born in India, I would be a Budhist, 
only for a special grace. You are a protestant 
because you were brought up in that protestation 
and without any formal creed. You know that 
the protestants have no other theology than the 
individual interpretation of their Bible. Did you 
ever study religion, the difference between Catho- 
lic and Protestant religions? It is so important 
that it is the duty of every reasonable Christian 
to find out the truth, and of course, to embrace 
it. Common sense and good will is all that is 
required. 

The question is: can an educated protestant 
be in good faith? If so, it is a mystery, like 
the blindness of the Jews. Are the protestant 
ministers in good faith? I believe not. 

If you have the privilege of having been brought 
up in the true Christian religion, thank God for 
it; study more and be confirmed in it. If you 
find out that you have been deceived since your 
childhood by a deficient Christian education, do 



The Faithful 27 

not be a slave of human respect, nor of pride; 
do not be a coward; grasp the truth, take your 
cross and follow the Master. Remember the 
Gospel: "Behold one came and said to Jesus: 
Good Master what good shall I do that I may 
have life everlasting? If thou wilt enter into life, 
keep the commandments, said the Master. The 
yoimg man saith to Him: All these have I kept 
from my youth, what is yet wanting to me? 
Jesus saith to him: If thou wilt be perfect, go, 
sell what thou hast and give to the poor and 
thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, 
follow Me.^^ (Mat. 19-17.) He declined to do 
so, or to make the sacrifices necessary in order 
to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Yes, indeed, 
straight is the way that leadeth to life and few 
there are that find it. Do not protest; have good 
will; be among the faithful and you will be among 
the saints. 



CHAPTER VIII. 
Rule of Faith. 

YOU BELIEVE; so do I. We believe many 
things in the natural order; everything that 
is reasonable. We are not skeptics; we cannot 
live without faith. 

What is the rule of human faith? Common 
sense. Philosophy, science and theology widen 
the field of faith; however, unfortunately, how 
many learned men or savants, blinded by pride, 
have not the common sense which is the rule 
of faith! 

In the supernatural order we believe what we 
are told by God, in other words; Revelation is 
our rule of Faith: The holy Tradition, the 
prophets of the Old Testament, and finally Jesus 
Christ. The Word of God was made man in 
order to teach us and to do penance for us. His 
word is our Christian rule of Faith, His example 
our rule of life. He preached only three years 
with words of mouth; however, He is still living 
in His Church, preaching in the person of Hi5 



Rule of Faith 29 

apostles: "As the Father hath sent me I also 
send you.' (John 20-21.) "He that heareth 
you hearth Me." (Luke 10-16.) So, when we 
hear the apostles we h^ar Jesus Christ. He wrote 
nothing. Some ap sties were inspired to take down 
y writing, in a few pages, the essence of His 
doctrine. It was a providence for our poor hu- 
manity, a great help for the apostles especially 
in the course of the centuries. Is this to say that 
He meant to discharge His apostles and tell the 
generations to come, like Luther: Read the Bible 
and believe and do as you please? By no means. 
His word is there: "All power is given to me in 
heaven and on earth. Going, therefore, teach ye 
all nations , teaching them to observe what- 
soever I have commanded you; and behold I am 
with you all days even to the consummation of 
the world.'' (Mat. 28-18.) 

The Bible is the word of God indeed; read it 
with humility and obedience and it will be a great 
benefit to you; but if the interpretation be left 
to your own judgment you will misunderstand 
many things. There must be interpreters; there 
must be a judge. Who are the apostles? Men 
appointed by God, ordained and sent by Jesus 
Christ to take His place. Peter is the infallible 
umpire: "Feed my lambs; feed my sheep, says 



30 Catholics and Protestants 

Jesus.'' (John 22-17.) "I have prayed for thee 
that thy faith fail not.'' (Luke 22-32.) We be- 
lieve what the apostolic authority teaches us. This 
is our rule of Faith; this is our creed. 

What is the protestant creed or rule of faith? 
'Individual judgment in the interpretation of the 
Bible; which means to say: as many creeds as 
Bible readers. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Rule of Life. 

THE PLANT lives, according to the laws of 
nature. The animal lives, according to the 
natural law and the instict. Man, the rational 
animal, lives according to nature, instinct and 
reason. The Christian man lives a spiritual life, 
as a child of God, according to the grace of 
Regeneration, sanctifying grace and actual grace. 
The Christian life is a society or communion with 
Jesus Christ the man-God. "I live, now not I 
but Christ liveth in me.'' (Gal. 2-20.) 

The infidel, with his share of the supernatural 
gift of Faith and grace, thro the merits of Jesus 
Christ, in his ignorance, good faith and good will, 
enjoys the privilege of Christian life and death. 
The Jews, having the benefit of the Revelation, 
know and serve God, according to the Old Testa- 
ment, but they refuse to acknowledge Jesus Christ 
and to live up to His doctrine. Call their blind- 
ness good faith and their worship good will, and 
they have Christian life by the mercy of God; 
otherwise there would be no heaven for them. 



I 



11 Catholics and Protestants 

We believe in Jesus Christ; we are baptized 
in His blood; we have the true Christian life. 
It is true as long as we keep this life of grace. 
Are you in the state of mortal sin? You are a 
Christian, but you do not have the Christian life: 
'Thou hast the name of being alive and thou art 
dead.'' (Apoc. 3-1.) 

The Christian life begins with Regeneration 
or Baptism, and is preserved, recovered and in- 
creased by actual grace. 

What is the Christian rule of life? The ex- 
amples and the teachings of Jesus Christ, our 
model, our master. 'T have given you an ex- 
ample, that as I have done to you so you do 
also." (John 13-15.) "Leaving you an example 
that you should follow His steps.'' (1 Pet. 2-21.) 
He preached by words and examples. He was 
born in humiliation and suffering. He lived and 
died the same. "He humbled Himself, becoming 
obedient unto death even to the death of the 
cross." (Phil. 1-^.) "If any man will come after 
Me, let him deny himself and take his cross and 
follow Me." (Mat. 16-24.) "He that taketh not 
his cross and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me." 
(Mat. 10-38.) This is our rule of life. "If 
you love Me, keep My commandments." (Mat. 
19-17.) The natural Law, the Old Testament, 



Rule of Life 33 

the ten commandments were enforced in the first 
place. "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the 
commandments." (Mat. 19-17.) Keep My com- 
mandments: take your cross and follow Me; re- 
ceive My sacraments, Penance, Holy Eucharist; 
eat My flesh, drink My blood, etc. The New 
Law and the imitation of Christ are for the per- 
fection of the Christian life and are obligatory 
like the natural law, "He who saith that he 
knoweth Him and keepeth not His command- 
ments, is a liar." (1 John 2-4.) He is with us 
yet, preaching in the person of His apostles: 
"Go, teach ye all nations." (Mat. 28-20.) "He 
that heareth you, heareth Me." (Luke 10-16.) 
He did not say: Go and read Me. 

If you protest and mean to close your ears to 
the apostolic doctrine and have your own judg- 
ment for your rule of faith and your rule of life, 
you are a protestant, not a true Christian. If you 
listen to the living word of Jesus Christ and mean 
to live accordingly, you are a Catholic, a true 
Christian. What is your rule of life? What is 
your religion? 



CHAPTER X. 

The Church. 

THE CHURCH is the family of God on earth. 
We are living in faith, in hope and in chari- 
ty; in partnership with Jesus Christ, the Em- 
manuel, really present in the midst of us, body 
and soul, man and God. Together with Him we 

say daily: Our father who art in heaven 

Thy kingdom come, on earth and in heaven. 
"Blessed are they who dwell in the house of the 
Lord'' (Ps. 83-5), the members of the Church. 

All mankind may belong to the Church. In 
fact, "many are called, but few are chosen." 
(Mat. 20-16.) Are you among the elect or privi- 
leged ones? 

The moment a child of Adam is baptized in 
the blood of Jesus Christ, either in the sacrament 
or thro his good will and the grace of God, he 
becomes a child of God and heir of heaven. 
"Glory be to God in the highest and on earth 
peace to men of good will." 

If a man, after having been regenerated, falls 
into mortal sin, he still is a Christian; the seal 



The Churh 35 

is there on the soul; but he is a prodigal son, a 
stray sheep. As long as he remains in this con- 
dition, he does not bear fruits for eternal life. 
Now if a Christian be guilty of the sin of heresy, 
he is excommunicated from the Church; he is like 
a dead branch on the tree or on the ground. How 
many peoples are heretics without knowing it. 
Only formal heresy deserves formal excommuni- 
cation. Infidels as well as heretics who are in 
gross ignorance but in good faith and good will, 
virtually belong to the Church. ''Other sheep I 
have that are not of the fold: them also I must 
bring." (John X-16.) 

The Church is one; there is but one Shepherd, 
one flock. It is called catholic, universal, un- 
changeable, for all times, all places, all genera- 
tions. Nobody is excluded, but those who have 
no will or who have bad will. 

Now remember the axiom: Outside of the 
Church no salvation. The gentiles are not out- 
siders when they are in good faith and of good 
will ; however, their faith is short, their will is 
weak and they have not the abundance of grace 
that the Christians have with Jesus. The infidels 
do not belong to the Church nominally but indi- 
vidually they belong to it if they are in good 
faith and good will. The Jews are in the same 



36 Catholics and Protestants 

condition. What about the protestants? They 
do not belong to the true Fold, by the fact that 
they protest against it; however they must belong 
to it by good faith and good will; otherwise, no 
salvation. 

Do you belong to the Church? Do you sin- 
cerely wish to be saved? You were not born a 
protestant; but you were brought up a protestant, 
in good faith. ''O that they would be wise and 
would understand and would provide for their 
last end." (Dent. XXXII-29.) Prime education, 
as a rule, makes the religion; but when you are 
an adult you ought to use your own intellect to 
find the truth, and your own will to follow the 
right path. If you are a protestant of some de- 
nomination, do you know what it is, and the dif- 
ference between Christianism and protestantism? 
Do you positively refuse to know the truth and 
to take the narrow path to heaven? Outside of 
the Church, no salvation. 

The Church is the society of the faithful, organ- 
ized by Jesus Christ the man-God and adminis- 
tered by His apostles under the guidance of His 
divine Spirit, throughout the nations and the cen- 
turies. "The Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom 
the Father will send in My name, he will teach 
you all things and bring all things to your mind. 



The Churh 37 

whatsoever I shall have said to you." (John 
XIV-26.) ^^As the Father hath sent Me, I also 
send you." (John XX-21.) "Thou art Peter and 
upon this rock I will build My Church, and the 
gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Mat. 
XVI-18.) Because Jesus Christ is with it: "Be- 
hold I am with you all days, even to the con- 
summation of the world." (Mat. 28-20.) The 
Church is militant, that is to say always at war 
with the enemies of the truth. 

The Church is a society of men; the apostles 
are men, and as such they are fallible, but the 
representative of Christ, the head of the Church, 
Peter, is infallible in matter of faith, according 
to the promise of Christ. 

The Church is Roman, which means to say 
that its president lives in Rome, like the home 
of our president is in Washington. Can you real- 
ize the Church without a government; without 
laws: doctrinal laws, moral laws, canonical laws, 
and without supernatural rule of Faith and rule 
of Hfe? 

The protestant churches are mere human or- 
ganizations, without theology, without canonical 
laws; and consequently defective, changeable, 
reckless. The partisans are stray sheep without 
a shepherd. 



3S Catholics and Protestants 

There is but one Faith, one religion, one fold, 
one shepherd, to be found in the holy Catholic 
apostolic Church. 



CHAPTER XI. 
Priesthood. 

THE CHRISTIAN priest is another Christ, 
having been ordained to take His place, for 
the same mission, with the same divine powers; 
above all, to offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass 
which is the continuation of the sacrifice of 
Calvary. We believe in the sacrament of Holy 
Orders, instituted by Jesus Christ for the trans- 
mission of the apostolical powers to the succeed- 
ing generations throughout the centuries. ^^As the 
Father hath sent Me, I also send you.'' (John 
XX- 21.) "All power is given to Me in heaven 
and on earth. Going, therefore, teach ye all 
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father 
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have 
commanded you: and behold I am with you all 
days, even to the consummation of the world.'' 
(Mat. XXVIIM8.) "Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 
Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven 
them." (John XX-21.) "Do this for a com- 
memoration of Me; for as often as you shall 



40 Catholics and Protestants 

eat this bread and drink this chalice, you shall 
show the death of the Lord until he comes." 
• (1 Cor. 11-26.) Every priest must be able to 
trace back his ordination to the first apostles 
and to Jesus Christ. 

The protestants protest against the sacrament 
of Holy Orders. They have no priests, no sacri- 
fice, no apostleship. They need nothing of the 
kind, according to their principle of universal 
priesthood and Bible-reading apostleship. Anyhow 
they have their leaders. The protestant denomi- 
nations are so many human societies that must 
have their leaders and their ritual. They use 
certain formalities for the appointment of their 
ministers. 

A civil officer has civil authority that comes 
from God. The protestant minister has nothing 
more than a social authority, by mutual agree- 
ment. The link of apostolic succession was broken 
with Luther, Calvin, Parker and other heretic 
reformers. The invalidity of the anglican orders 
has been proven by evidence. An episcopalian 
clergyman is no more a priest than lutheran or 
wesleyan ministers. 

The protestant ministers cannot administer any 
sacrament, except Baptism by the permission of 
the Church, for the sake of souls; and even the 



Priesthood 41 

validity of their baptism is doubtful for lack of 
faith and of intention. 

The minister makes his living by lecturing to 
his audience, but his word is not the word of 
God. He may preach the ten commandments, 
but if he preaches the Gospel he preaches heresy, 
by the fact that he is a professor of protestantism. 
Of course, the ministers are supposed to preach 
the natural Law and the ten commandments. So 
does the Jewish Rabbi. Would to God that the 
Bible readers would preach the old Testament 
like the Jewish priests! Their sermons are mere 
literary, scientific or political essays. There is 
practically little or no Christian religion in them. 
This is all their ministry. They have nothing 
else to do; their ministry is as easy as their 
religion: Believe as you please and do as you 
please. 

A true Christian priest taking the place of Jesus 
Christ ought to be like Christ, as near as pos- 
sible: a holy man. The Catholic priest is bound 
to keep virginity, for perfection and in order to 
devote himself entirely to the care of his Christ- 
ian family. A priest must pray, for himself and 
for the faithful, three or four hours every day; 
vocal and mental prayers such as breviary, visits 
to the Blessed Sacrament, etc., offer the holy 



42 Catholics and Protestants 

Sacrifice of the Mass and perform all the services 
of the Church. He must study the Bible and 
the theology continually for the practice of his 
holy ministry. A priest must devote a good 
portion of his time to the administration of the 
sacraments, especially the sacrament of Penance 
and to the visitation of the sick. A priest must 
be devoted to the education of the children: 
Sunday-schools, Catholic schools, sodalities. 

Nobody is perfect, but every one must aim to 
perfection. A bad priest is a Judas; a good priest 
is another Christ. A protestant minister is a 
hireling. 



CHAPTER XII. 
Holy Eucharist. 

EUCHARIST means thanksgiving. In the 
meantime as it is the greatest gift of God 
to man on earth, this sacrament is the best means 
of expressing our gratitude to God for all His 
gifts. "What shall I render to the Lord for all 
the things that He has rendered to me? I will 
take the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon 
the name of the Lord.'' (Ps. CXV-12.) 

God loves us. We are His children, heirs of 
heaven; thanks be to God. He has done more 
for us. "Having loved His own who were in the 
world. He loved them unto the end." (John 
XIII-L) He has given us the sacrament of Holy 
Eucharist, the sacrament of love, the perpetual 
commemoration of His death. His real presence 
among us; the grand privilege of eating His flesh 
and of drinking His blood. What a chain of 
mysteries in that Sacrament! Blessed are the 
human beings who believe and who enjoy the 
Eucharistic privileges. 



44 Catholics and Protestants 

The word of God is so plain and so expressive 
that it is impossible to deny the meaning of it. 
However, the miracles are so great that it re- 
quires an efficacious grace of God to believe in 
them. ^^Take ye and eat: this is My body. Drink 
ye all of this, for this is My blood of the New 
Testament which shall be shed for many unto 
remission of sins.'' (Mat. XVI-26.) I am the 
living bread which came down from heaven. If 
any man eat of this bread he shall live forever; 
and the bread that I will give is My flesh for 
the life of the world. He that eateth My flesh 
and drinketh My blood, hath everlasting life; and 
I will raise him up in the last day; for My flesh 
is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 
He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood 
abideth in Me and I in him." (John VI-SO.) 
"Many therefore of His disciples hearing it, said: 
This saying is hard and who can hear it?'' (John 
VI-60.) "After this many of His disciples went 
back." (John VI-64.) This is what our protes- 
tant friends are doing.' They do not believe in 
the holy Eucharist. The Catholics say with Peter : 
"Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the 
words of eternal life." (John VI-69.) We be- 
lieve. 

We believe in the holy Sacrifice of the Mass; 



Holy Eucharist 45 

in the eucharistic communion; in the real presence 
of Jesus Christ's body and soul, in our temples. 
What a difference with protestantism. 

The Mass is the sacrifice of the cross perpetu- 
ated on the altar. The priest is Jesus Christ and 
so also His apostles, in partnership with Him, 
performing the transubstantiation. The victim is 
Jesus Christ; the sacrifice is the consummation 
of the holy victim in the Holy Communion. Jesus 
Christ is born, lives and dies on the altar. This is 
the Mass; the soul of the christian religion. That 
holy Sacrifice is being offered night and day, 
all over the world, all over the centuries. "From 
the rising of the sun even to the going down. 
My name is great among the gentiles; and in 
every place there is sacrifice, and there is of- 
fered to My name a clean oblation.'' (Mat. 1-11.) 
It is the principal sanctification of Sundays and 
Holydays. It is the Sacrifice of adoration, thanks- 
giving, prayer, atonement. No such thing with 
our separated brethren. 

Eucharistic communion is the eating and drink- 
ing of the flesh and blood, humanity and divinity 
of Jesus Christ the man-God. The figurative 
communion of the Jews is more rational than 
the communion of Luther, which is only a rem- 
nant of the Passover. 



46 Catholics and Protestants 

As to the real presence of Jesus Emmanuel 
among us^ body and soul in the tabernacle, it is 
as true as the transubstantiation. "Behold I am 
with you all days even to the consummation of 
the world." (Mat. 28-20.) 



I 



CHAPTER XIII. 



Penance. 



HUMAN PENANCE is a sparkle of hell. The 
Christian penance is the door of heaven. This 
life is a penance. ^^Man born of a woman, living 
for a short time, is filled with many miseries." 
(Job 14-1.) The sentence was passed upon man 
after his fall: "In the sweat of thy face shalt 
thou eat bread." (Gen. 111-19.) We must suf- 
fer, body and soul, or physical and moral pains. 
We suffer because we are sinners. 

All the pains of hell cannot pay the debt of 
the fallen angels to the supreme justice. All the 
human tribulations would be of no avail without 
the infinite merits of the divine Redeemer Who 
was made man. Who suffered and died in order 
to do penance for us; to give perfect satisfac- 
tion to the divine justice. Why then are we suf- 
fering yet? Because we are one with Christ Who 
is one with us; having adopted our humanity, 
not to deprive us of it but sanctify it; to make 
us His brothers, adopted children of God. We 



48 Catholics and Protestants 

must partake of His passion if we wish to partake 
of His glory. "God Who made us without us 
cannot save us without us/' (Col. 1-24.) "I 
rejoice, says St. Paul, in my suffering for you, 
and fill up those things that are wanting in the 
sufferings of Christ in my flesh, for His body 
which is the Church.'' "If you partake of the 
sufferings of Christ, rejoice that when His glory 
shall be revealed, you may also be glad with 
exceeding joy." (1 Pet. IV-13.) "Except you 
do penance, you shall all likewise perish." (Luke 

xm-s.) 

We are soul and body. There are two kinds 
of penances: in the body and in the soul. Physical 
pains are numberless. We make the best of them 
by accepting them willingly •for the love of justice, 
for the love of God. We do more: we impose 
penances upon ourselves, wishing to have more 
and more share in the passion of Christ. 

I protest, says Luther. We protest, say his 
disciples. Jesus Christ has done penance enough ; 
we have nothing to do but to wait for heaven. 
They suffer at any rate because they cannot 
help it. 

The moral pains are the pains of the soul. 
Any animal has moral pains of love, of hatred. 



Penance 49 

etc. Our soul which is spiritual, rational; made 
to love what is true, what is just, what is good, 
what is beautiful, and to enjoy it, is liable to 
suffer many more pains, especially in the fallen 
nature. The pains of the soul are innumerable. 
We are thirsty for God, for happiness and we can 
have no rest until we reach our end. 

If we suffer with humility and patience, it is 
the human virtue; if so and with Jesus Christ, 
it is the Christian virtue of patience; it is a part- 
nership with the merits of the man-God. Be- 
sides the satisfaction given to the divine justice, 
the reward will be exceedingly great in heaven. 

Penance is better yet. It is a sacrament. The 
Christian virtue of patience can obtain the for- 
giveness of sin and the sanctification of the soul, 
but the sacrament gives far more efficacious 
grace, for safety and sanctification. It is a law 
of the New Testament, for all. An infidel in 
good faith, sincerely penitent and patient, for 
the love of God, can become a saint; so with 
the protestant really in good faith; but not with 
the same security, by no means. A poor sinner 
believes in the Sacrament; he pleads guilty with 
fair contrition and begs of a fellow-man who is 
an apostle: please, forgive me, in the name of 
God, of the holy Trinity. He is sure that his 



1 



50 Catholics and Protestants 

sins are forgiven; he may die in peace. O blessed 
sacrament of Penance! Why do they protest 
against it? Thro ignorance, thro pride. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Suffering Church. 

FALLEN MAN must do penance. Fortunately 
the eternal damnation has been cancelled, 
thro the merits of Jesus Christ. ^^Blotting out 
the handwriting of the decree that was against 
us... fastening it to the cross.'^ (Col. 11-14.) 
Now we carry our cross with Jesus. "If aiiy 
man will come after Me, let him deny himself 
and take up his cross and follow Me.'' (Mat. 
XVI-24.) 

The Christian penance is light and short, and 
deserves an eternal reward. Now is the time and 
the place to pay our debts to the divine justice; 
thro Christ, with Christ and in Christ. "Behold 
now is the acceptable time; behold now is the 
day of salvation." (2 Cor. VI-2.) If you do not 
settle now, you will pay dear hereafter, or you 
will never pay. For the forgiveness of our sins 
God is satisfied with our poor contrition; but we 
must do penance, now and hereafter. "If doing 
well you suffer patiently, this is thanksworthy 
before God. For unto this are you called; be- 



52 Catholics and Protestants 

cause Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an 
example that you should follow His steps." (Ts. 
11-21.) I protest says Luther; we protest, say 
his followers. Poor Christians, do as you please. 
Will laugh well who will laugh last. 

It is the doctrine of the Church that there is 
another world after this one, where human souls 
have to do penance. It is called Purgatory, be- 
cause it is for the purification of the souls de- 
parting from this life without having sufficiently 
done penance for their sins. Unless you have 
preserved baptismal innocence or recovered it, 
you are not pure enough to enter into heaven 
This belief is as old as the world. "It is holy and 
wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they 
may be loosed from sins." (II Mac. XII-46.) 

Where is purgatory? God knows, the universe 
is great. What pains do they suffer? The most 
terrible pains of the senses, like the fire of hell; 
but purgatory is a paradise in comparison with 
hell, because the souls endure their pains with 
perfect resignation, penitent love, and full as- 
surance of their deliverance. How long? Accord- 
ing to their debt, of course; at any rate, ac- 
cording to our computation of time, many souls 
suffer for many years. What is the population 
of the suffering Church? Millions and billions, 



The Suffering Church 53 

probably far greater than the population of the 
earth. Can their sufferings be relieved or short- 
ened? It is written: ^^Thou shalt not go out 
from thence till thou repay the last farthing." 
(Mat. V-26.) They have no share in the merits 
of Christ, they suffer alone. 

Fortunately, they belong to the communion of 
the saints. They are our neighbor, our brethren, 
and by a special permission of God, we can help 
them by transferring to them our satisfactory 
merits. The satisfactory merits of Christ and of 
the saints are not applied to them directly, but 
thro our mediation. They become our property, 
and we donate. For instance, the holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass is offered for the dead. It is not 
for the dead; it is for the living. The principal 
fruit is for the living; salvation and sanctification. 
The grace of atonement also is ours, but we are 
allowed to donate it to our suffering brethren, 
as we partake our bread with the poor, for the 
love of God. So with all the Christian good works 
and indulgences. 

The protestants protest against christian pen- 
ance, against the Sacrament of Penance, against 
Purgatory. It is not the Christian religion; it is 
protestantism. 



CHAIMKK '. 

Heaven. 

^^/^LORIOUS things are said of thee, O city 
V-T of God." (Ps. 86-3.) Is it true? Is it 
true that there is a heaven? Is it true that one 
day, after a few of our days, we will be in 
heaven, the home sweet home of God? There 
will be the end of all evils, the beatific vision 
of the infinite Being, the perfect bliss of the soul 
and of the body, the eternal life with perfect 
love, in the society of the Holy Trinity and of 
the multitude of angels and saints. What a dream! 
What a broad Faith and hope! It is true as the 
word of God is true. "Come, ye blessed of my 
Father; possess the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world." (Mat.XV-34.) 
I believe, by the grace of God. It is so far be- 
yond the reach of human ideal that it requires a 
supernatural gift of faith to endorse the true 
Christian doctrine. I believe and I hope as a true 
Christian. I also believe and hope in my own 
way, says the protestant. I am a Christian, but 



Heaven 55 

not like you. The wild Indian also believes in 
his own way. Many false prophets like Luther 
and Calvin have pretended to reform the Christ- 
ian doctrine and to make the way to heaven too 
broad or the door too narrow. How many souls 
have been deceived and lost! Do not err. 

Yes, there is a heaven, and heaven is a reward. 
"Your reward is very great in heaven," says our 
Lord (Mat. V-2.) ^ 'I am the reward exceedingly 
great, said God to Abraham." (Gen. XV- 1.) Yes, 
there is a heaven, and a path to it. "Enter ye 
in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and 
broad is the way that leadeth to destruction; 
and many there are who go in thereat. How nar- 
row is the gate and strait is the way that leadeth 
to life; and few there are that find it!" "Beware 
of false prophets." (Mat. VII-13.) ' "Strive to 
enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to 
you, shall seek to enter and shall not be able." 
(Luke XIII-24.) You will find the path in the 
true Christian religion. "Take your cross, says 
Jesus Christ, and follow Me." Do not protest. 

Yes heaven is the prize and eternity is at 
stake. A few years more of patience, obedience, 
humility, sacrifice, good will and perseverance; 
and heaven is yours for eternity. Are you on 
the right way? 



56 Catholics and Protestants 

What is heaven? The sight of God who is the 
eternal, infinite Hght and beauty; the society 
with God who is Himself our reward exceedingly 
great; the enjoyment of a happiness beyond any 
human ideal. "The eye hath not seen, nor the 
ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart 
of man what thing God hath prepared for them 
that love Him.' (I Cor. 11-9.) 

Where is heaven? A limited space of course, 
in the immensity of God, where He manifests 
Himself to His privileged creatures, angels and 
men. Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, sitteth 
at the right hand of the Father, surrounded by 
legions of angels and billions of saints. Fancy 
what you can and you are far below the reality. 
Heaven was made for angels first and for men 
next. "I saw, says the apostle, a great multitude 
which no man could number, of all nations and 
tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before 
the throne." (Apoc. VII-9.) All are perfectly 
happy in the contemplative love of the divine 
perfections, in mutual love and what else. 
heaven! We, poor members of the militant 
Church, shall we ever belong to that triumphant 
Church? Why not? Happiness is promised to 
all men of good will ; heaven to Christians of good 
will only. Regeneration or Baptism in the blood 



Penance 49 

etc. Our soul which is spiritual, rational; made 
to love what is true, what is just, what is good, 
what is beautiful, and to enjoy it, is liable to 
suffer many more pains, especially in the fallen 
nature. The pains of the soul are innumerable. 
We are thirsty for God, for happiness and we can 
have no rest until we reach our end. 

If we suffer with humility and patience, it is 
the human virtue; if so and with Jesus Christ, 
it is the Christian virtue of patience; it is a part- 
nership with the merits of the man-God. Be- 
sides the satisfaction given to the divine justice, 
the reward will be exceedingly great in heaven. 

Penance is better yet. It is a sacrament. The 
Christian virtue of patience can obtain the for- 
giveness of sin and the sanctification of the soul, 
but the sacrament gives far more efficacious 
grace, for safety and sanctification. It is a law 
of the New Testament, for all. An infidel in 
good faith, sincerely penitent and patient, for 
the love of God, can become a saint; so with 
the protestant really in good faith; but not with 
the same security, by no means. A poor sinner 
believes in the Sacrament; he pleads guilty with 
fair contrition and begs of a fellow-man who is 
an apostle: please, forgive me, in the name of 
God, of the holy Trinity. He is sure that his 



50 Catholics and Protestants 

sins are forgiven; he may die in peace. O blessed 
sacrament of Penance! Why do they protest 
against it? Thro ignorance, thro pride. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Suffering Church. 

FALLEN MAN must do penance. Fortunately 
the eternal damnation has been cancelled, 
thro the merits of Jesus Christ. ^^Blotting out 
the handwriting of the decree that was against 
us... fastening it to the cross.'' (Col. 11-14.) 
Now we carry our cross with Jesus. "If any 
man will come after Me, let him deny himself 
and take up his cross and follow Me." (Mat. 
XVI-24.) 

The Christian penance is light and short, and 
deserves an eternal reward. Now is the time and 
the place to pay our debts to the divine justice; 
thro Christ, with Christ and in Christ. "Behold 
now is the acceptable time; behold now is the 
day of salvation." (2 Cor. VI-2.) If you do not 
settle now, you will pay dear hereafter, or you 
will never pay. For the forgiveness of our sins 
God is satisfied with our poor contrition; but we 
must do penance, now and hereafter. "If doing 
well you suffer patiently, this is thanksworthy 
before God. For unto this are you called; be- 



52 Catholics and Protestants 

cause Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an 
example that you should follow His steps/' (Ts. 
11-21.) I protest says Luther; we protest, say 
his followers. Poor Christians, do as you please. 
Will laugh well who will laugh last. 

It is the doctrine of the Church that there is 
another world after this one, where human souls 
have to do penance. It is called Purgatory, be- 
cause it is for the purification of the souls de- 
parting from this life without having sufficiently 
done penance for their sins. Unless you have 
preserved baptismal innocence or recovered it, 
you are not pure enough to enter into heaven 
This belief is as old as the world. "It is holy and 
wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they 
may be loosed from sins." (II Mac. XII-46.) 

Where is purgatory? God knows, the universe 
is great. What pains do they suffer? The most 
terrible pains of the senses, like the fire of hell; 
but purgatory is a paradise in comparison with 
hell, because the souls endure their pains with 
perfect resignation, penitent love, and full as- 
surance of their deliverance. How long? Accord- 
ing to their debt, of course; at any rate, ac- 
cording to our computation of time, many souls 
suffer for many years. What is the population 
of the suffering Church? Millions and billions, 



The Suffering Church 53 

probably far greater than the population of the 
earth. Can their sufferings be relieved or short- 
ened? It is written: ^'Thou shalt not go out 
from thence till thou repay the last farthing." 
(Mat. V-26.) They have no share in the merits 
of Christ, they suffer alone. 

Fortunately, they belong to the communion of 
the saints. They are our neighbor, our brethren, 
and by a special permission of God, we can help 
them by transferring to them our satisfactory 
merits. The satisfactory merits of Christ and of 
the saints are not applied to them directly, but 
thro our mediation. They become our property, 
and we donate. For instance, the holy Sacrifice 
of the Mass is offered for the dead. It is not 
for the dead; it is for the living. The principal 
fruit is for the living; salvation and sanctification. 
The grace of atonement also is ours, but we are 
allowed to donate it to our suffering brethren, 
as we partake our bread with the poor, for the 
love of God. So with all the Christian good works 
and indulgences. 

The protestants protest against christian pen- 
ance, against the Sacrament of Penance, against 
Purgatory. It is not the Christian religion; it is 
protestantism. 



CHAIMKK '. 

Heavkn. 

^^/^LORIOUS things are said of thee, O city 
VJ of God/^ (Ps. 86-3.) Is it true? Is it 
true that there is a heaven? Is it true that one 
day, after a few of our days, we will be in 
heaven, the home sweet home of God? There 
will be the end of all evils, the beatific vision 
of the infinite Being, the perfect bliss of the soul 
and of the body, the eternal life with perfect 
love, in the society of the Holy Trinity and of 
the multitude of angels and saints. What a dream! 
What a broad Faith and hope! It is true as the 
word of God is true. ''Come, ye blessed of my 
Father; possess the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world.'' (Mat.XV-34.) 
I believe, by the grace of God. It is so far be- 
yond the reach of human ideal that it requires a 
supernatural gift of faith to endorse the true 
Christian doctrine. I believe and I hope as a true 
Christian. I also believe and hope in my own 
way, says the protestant. I am a Christian, but 



Heaven 55 

not like you. The wild Indian also believes in 
his own way. Many false prophets like Luther 
and Calvin have pretended to reform the Christ- 
ian doctrine and to make the way to heaven too 
broad or the door too narrow. How many souls 
have been deceived and lost! Do not err. 

Yes, there is a heaven, and heaven is a reward. 
"Your reward is very great in heaven, '^ says our 
Lord (Mat. V-2.) "I am the reward exceedingly 
great, said God to Abraham." (Gen. XV-L) Yes, 
there is a heaven, and a path to it. "Enter ye 
in at the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and 
broad is the way that leadeth to destruction; 
and many there are who go in thereat. How nar- 
row is the gate and strait is the way that leadeth 
to life; and few there are that find it!" "Beware 
of false prophets." (Mat. VH-IS.) "Strive to 
enter by the narrow gate; for many, I say to 
you, shall seek to enter and shall not be able." 
(Luke XIII-24.) You will find the path in the 
true Christian religion. "Take your cross, says 
Jesus Christ, and follow Me." Do not protest. 

Yes heaven is the prize and eternity is at 
stake. A few years more of patience, obedience, 
humility, sacrifice, good will and perseverance; 
and heaven is yours for eternity. Are you on 
the right way? 



56 Catholics and Protestants 

What is heaven? The sight of God who is the 
eternal, infinite light and beauty; the society 
with God who is Himself our reward exceedingly 
great; the enjoyment of a happiness beyond any 
human ideal. 'The eye hath not seen, nor the 
ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart 
of man what thing God hath prepared for them 
that love Him.' (I Cor. n-9.) 

Where is heaven? A limited space of course, 
in the immensity of God, where He manifests 
Himself to His privileged creatures, angels and 
men. Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, sitteth 
at the right hand of the Father, surrounded by 
legions of angels and billions of saints. Fancy 
what you can and you are far below the reality. 
Heaven was made for angels first and for men 
next. ^'I saw, says the apostle, a great multitude 
which no man could number, of all nations and 
tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before 
the throne.'' (Apoc. VII-9.) All are perfectly 
happy in the contemplative love of the divine 
perfections, in mutual love and what else. O 
heaven! We, poor members of the militant 
Church, shall we ever belong to that triumphant 
Church? Why not? Happiness is promised to 
all men of good will ; heaven to Christians of good 
will only. Regeneration or Baptism in the blood 



Heaven 57 

of the Redeemer is absolutely necessary. ^^Amen, 
Amen, I say to you, unless a man be born again 
of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter 
into the kingdom of God.'' (John HI-S.) If 
that baptismal innocence be marred by actual 
sin, it must be recovered thro the Baptism of 
Penance. "There shall not enter into it any- 
thing defiled.'' (Apoc. XXI-27.) You are a 
Christian; you are a good christian: heaven is 
yours. Are you a protestant christian? Beware, 
dear brother. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
Hell. 

THERE IS a hell; which means to, say eternal 
damnation, reprobation, punishment, for the 
sinners. This article of supernatural Faith is en- 
graved in the soul of every human being, to- 
gether with the Faith in the supreme Being. 
Skeptics are skeptics either from lack of reason 
or on account of pride. Many protestant preach- 
ers have lost the faith and do not believe in hell. 
Some of them boast of it, others conceal it. As 
a rule, they never preach on hell or eternal dam- 
nation. The people feel otherwise; it is natural. 
If such a preacher as Billy Sunday be bold 
enough to stir up the faith of the people by 
telling them that there is a hell, they will call 
him a hero. 

Yes, there is a hell. We know enough about 
it thro the Revelation, to make us shudder at 
the only thought of it. We believe, by the light 
of reason- and by the light of the Christian Faith. 

What is hell? Hear the divine Word: "Depart 



Hell 59 

form me, cursed soul, into the everlasting fire 
which was prepared for the devil and his angels.'' 
(Mat. 25-41.) The absolute separation from God 
or reprobation; the curse of God or damnation; 
the most horrible pains of the soul and of the 
body; ravenous hatred, remorse; and, the worst 
of the worst, for eternity, despondency. We use 
all the faculties of our mind to realize hell, mak- 
ing some comparison with all the imaginable evils, 
and we have but a faint idea of the abomination 
of the eternal damnation. This is the christian 
doctrine. Do not err. Be not deceived by the 
false prophets. Think well on it: eternity is at 
stake. ^'With fear and thembling, work out your 
salvation.'' (Phil. 11-12.) 

Hell was made for the fallen angels first and 
it was ready made for fallen man. 

How many go to hell? Millions and billions. 
The gates are opened, and night and day hun- 
dreds of new comers swell the number of the 
reprobates. What is the proportion between the 
saints and the damned? God knows; and the 
saints in heaven probably know it to adore the 
infinite justice. What we know is this. The path 
to heaven is narrow; the broadway leads to hell. 
As a man lives so he dies. How many are living 
in sin! Remember the Flood: ''All flesh had 



60 Catholics and Protestants 

corrupted its way upon the earth.'' (Gen. VI-12.) 
Remember the destruction of Sodom and Go- 
morha, where fifty just could not be found. Who 
then shall be saved? Do not be scandalized nor 
discouraged. Those who are in hell are there 
thro their own free will and remain there wilful- 
ly, because they are confirmed in their bad will. 
Of course you wish to be happy. Take the right 
way; be a good christian by Faith and works. 
There is no hell for the good christian; no hell 
for the penitent christian. Hell is for those who 
like Lucifer and Luther say till the end: I protest. 



CHAPTER XVII. 
The Difference. 

SOME SAY: there is little difference between 
the catholic religion and protestantism. It is 
a gross error. There is a striking and broad dif- 
ference; broader than between the light of the 
sun and moon-light. Here are a few points of 
difference. 

The Christian Faith is that Jesus Christ is son 
of God and son of Mary, a God and man to- 
gether; two natures in one person. How many 
protestant heresies have arisen against that dogma 
of the hypostatical union, and against the im- 
maculate virginity and divine maternity of the 
Virgin-Mother who is now the queen of heaven 
body and soul. 

Jesus Christ, in order to give satisfaction to 
the infinite justice of God, humbled Himself, suf- 
fered, and died on the cross. He preached p>en- 
ance, penitent love and perfect love, in partner- 
ship with Him. What is the protestant doctrine 
on penance? Nothing. Leave Him alone on the 



62 Catholics and Protestants 

cross. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we 
shall die." (I Cor. XV-32.) 

Not only works of penance are required from 
the christian man, but all kinds of good works 
for sanctification; especially the sacraments. 
'Taith without works is dead," says the apostle. 
Protestantism says: believe and do as you please. 

Jesus Christ is our teacher and His apostles 
are ordained to be our teachers with Him through- 
out the centuries. "As my Father hath sent Me, 
I send you." "Go and teach all nations." "Who 
heareth you heareth Me." 

I protest, says the protestant Bible-reader; the 
dead letter of my Bible is my teacher; my own 
judgment is my rule of faith. 

The Church is a society on earth and requires 
an organization. Jesus Christ is the invisible head 
of the Church; Peter is the visible head, together 
with the other apostles, having supernatural 
powers to act like Christ and with Christ. I 
protest, says Luther: no papacy, no priesthood, 
no spiritual authority. 

We believe in the sacrament of Penance. The 
protestants are scandalized. 

We believe in the sacrament of holy Eucharist, 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass or the continuation 
of the sacrifice of the cross; the sacramental com- 



The Difference 63 

munion, a real meal on the flesh and blood of 
Jesus; the perpetual real presence of the man- 
God in our Churches. The protestants consider 
us as idolaters. 

We believe in the sacrament of the holy Orders 
for the transmission of the apostolical powers. 
No priesthood for protestantism. 

JVe believe in the indissolubility of the sacra- 
ment of Matrimony. Divorce is a fruit of protes- 
tantism. 

We believe in the sacrament of Extreme Unc- 
tion. We believe in indulgences. We believe in 
atonement for the sins on earth and in purgatory. 
We believe in the communion of the saints, the 
intercession of the Blessed Virgin, of St. Joseph, 
of the angels and of the saints; and in a worship 
of veneration and imitation. We believe in how 
many other christian dogmas and practices. We 
believe in the infallible apostolical authority of 
the Church. Protestantism is a protestation 
against every article of faith. 

Brother-man, believe as you please and do as 
you please; you have your free will; but if you 
have commonsense and sufficient education, you 
must be a true Christian, a Catholic; and a good 
one. If you protest thro self-conceit and ill-will, 
you will never arrive to the eternal life. Heaven 



64 Catholics and Protestants 

is the prize! Eternity is at stake! Think well 
on it and say with the grace of God: "I have 
sworn and I am determined to keep the judgments 
of Thy justice." (Ts. CXVIII-106.) "The grace 
of God with me." (I Cor. XV-10.) I am not a 
protestant; I am a Catholic and a Christian. 



Heaven 57 

of the Redeemer is absolutely necessary. ^'Amen, 
Amen, I say to you, unless a man be born again 
of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter 
into the kingdom of God.^' (John 111-5.) If 
that baptismal innocence be marred by actual 
sin, it must be recovered thro the Baptism of 
Penance. "There shall not enter into it any- 
thing defiled.^^ (Apoc. XXI-27.) You are a 
Christian; you are a good christian: heaven is 
yours. Are you a protestant christian? Beware, 
dear brother. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
Hell. 

THERE IS a hell ; which means to say eternal 
damnation, reprobation, punishment, for the 
sinners. This article of supernatural Faith is en- 
graved in the soul of every human being, to- 
gether with the Faith in the supreme Being. 
Skeptics are skeptics either from lack of reason 
or on account of pride. Many protestant preach- 
ers have lost the faith and do not believe in hell. 
Some of them boast of it, others conceal it. As 
a rule, they never preach on hell or eternal dam- 
nation. The people feel otherwise; it is natural. 
If such a preacher as Billy Sunday be bold 
enough to stir up the faith of the people by 
telling them that there is a hell, they will call 
him a hero. 

Yes, there is a hell. We know enough about 
it thro the Revelation, to make us shudder at 
the only thought of it. We believe, by the light 
of reason and by the light of the Christian Faith. 

What is hell? Hear the divine Word: "Depart 



Hell 59 

form me, cursed soul, into the everlasting fire 
which was prepared for the devil and his angels/' 
(Mat. 25-41.) The absolute separation from God 
or reprobation; the curse of God or damnation; 
the most horrible pains of the soul and of the 
body; ravenous hatred, remorse; and, the worst 
of the worst, for eternity, despondency. We use 
all the faculties of our mind to realize hell, mak- 
ing some comparison with all the imaginable evils, 
and we have but a faint idea of the abomination 
of the eternal damnation. This is the christian 
doctrine. Do not err. Be not deceived by the 
false prophets. Think well on it: eternity is at 
stake. "With fear and thembling, work out your 
salvation." (Phil. 11-12.) 

Hell was made for the fallen angels first and 
it was ready made for fallen man. 

How many go to hell? Millions and billions. 
The gates are opened, and night and day hun- 
dreds of new comers swell the number of the 
reprobates. What is the proportion between the 
saints and the damned? God knows; and the 
saints in heaven probably know it to adore the 
infinite justice. What we know is this. The path 
to heaven is narrow; the broadway leads to hell. 
As a man lives so he dies. How many are living 
in sin! Remember the Flood: '^All flesh had 



60 Catholics and Protestants 

corrupted its way upon the earth." (Gen. VI-12.) 
Remember the destruction of Sodom and Go- 
morha, where fifty just could not be found. Who 
then shall be saved? Do not be scandalized nor 
discouraged. Those who are in hell are there; 
thro their own free will and remain there wilful- 
ly, because they are confirmed in their bad will. 
Of course you wish to be happy. Take the right 
way; be a good christian by Faith and works. 
There is no hell for the good christian; no hell 
for the penitent christian. Hell is for those who 
like Lucifer and Luther say till the end: I protest. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

The Difference. 

SOME SAY: there is little difference between 
the catholic religion and protestantism. It is 
a gross error. There is a striking and broad dif- 
ference; broader than between the light of the 
sun and moon-light. Here are a few points of 
difference. 

The Christian Faith is that Jesus Christ is son 
of God and son of Mary, a God and man to- 
gether; two natures in one person. How many 
protestant heresies have arisen against that dogma 
of the hypostatical union, and against the im- 
maculate virginity and divine maternity of the 
Virgin-Mother who is now the queen of heaven 
body and soul. 

Jesus Christ, in order to give satisfaction to 
the infinite justice of God, humbled Himself, suf- 
fered, and died on the cross. He preached pen- 
ance, penitent love and perfect love, in partner- 
ship with Him. What is the protestant doctrine 
on penance? Nothing. Leave Him alone on the 



62 Catholics and Protestants 

cross. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we 
shall die." (I Cor. XV-32.) 

Not only works of penance are required from 
the christian man, but all kinds of good works 
for sanctification; especially the sacraments. 
'Taith without works is dead," says the apostle. 
Protestantism says: believe and do as you please. 

Jesus Christ is our teacher and His apostles 
are ordained to be our teachers with Him through- 
out the centuries. "As my Father hath sent Me, 
I send you." "Go and teach all nations." "Who 
heareth you heareth Me." 

I protest, says the protestant Bible-reader; the 
dead letter of my Bible is my teacher; my own 
judgment is my rule of faith. 

The Church is a society on earth and requires 
an organization. Jesus Christ is the invisible head 
of the Church ; Peter is the visible head, together 
with the other apostles, having supernatural 
powers to act like Christ and with Christ. I 
protest, says Luther: no papacy, no priesthood, 
no spiritual authority. 

We believe in the sacrament of Penance. The 
protestants are scandalized. 

We believe in the sacrament of holy Eucharist, 
the holy sacrifice of the Mass or the continuation 
of the sacrifice of the cross; the sacramental com- 



i 



The Difference 63 

munion, a real meal on the flesh and blood of 
Jesus; the perpetual real presence of the man- 
God in our Churches. The protestants consider 
us as idolaters. 

We believe in the sacrament of the holy Orders 
for the transmission of the apostolical powers. 
No priesthood for protestantism. 

We believe in the indissolubility of the sacra- 
ment of Matrimony. Divorce is a fruit of protes- 
tantism. 

We believe in the sacrament of Extreme Unc- 
tion. We believe in indulgences. We believe in 
atonement for the sins on earth and in purgatory. 
We believe in the communion of the saints, the 
intercession of the Blessed Virgin, of St. Joseph, 
of the angels and of the saints; and in a worship 
of veneration and imitation. We believe in how 
many other christian dogmas and practices. We 
believe in the infallible apostolical authority of 
the Church. Protestantism is a protestation 
against every article of faith. 

Brother-man, believe as you please and do as 
you please; you have your free will; but if you 
have commonsense and sufficient education, you 
must be a true Christian, a Catholic; and a good 
one. If you protest thro self-conceit and ill-will, 
you will never arrive to the eternal life. Heaven 



64 Catholics and Protestants 

is the prize! Eternity is at stake! Think well 
on it and say with the grace of God: "I have 
sworn and I am determined to keep the judgments 
of Thy justice." (Ts. CXVIII-106.) ^The grace 
of God with me." (I Cor. XV- 10,) I am not a 
protestant; I am a Catholic and a Christian. 



AN IDEAL GIFT BOOK 

®I|? Spiritual (Bremuvt 

The Latest and Most Up-to-Date Book of 

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